Dh’s card said I ‘Kept a perfect home’

I would take that as a compliment that he appreciates everything you do for him

I get it, OP.

My partner wouldn't send me a card with a sentiment like that because we keep a -'perfect' home together.

I'd say neither one of us works harder at it than the other but that wouldn't be true because does it better than me 😬

This is why I think it could be interpreted directly to how much you like or dislike your spouse. There are a lot of couples who really don’t like each other so my reaction would be based on that.

My DH is neurodivergent and cannot create order physically. He also hates mess...so he tells me a lot that he is so grateful to live in a calm and peaceful environment where there's clean towels and milk in the fridge. It's appreciating that I have skills he struggles massively with.

He said home not house so I would take it as a compliment, but I don’t know how much you and your dh like each other so it’s hard to say.

It means he thinks keeping the home is your job and you get a pat on the head for doing it right. I wouldn't be happy.

Personally, I would see a card referencing my housekeeping on International Women’s Day as a sign DH had lost his mind or was making a really, really poor joke.

DH would probably right something like that but I wouldn't mind as I know what he'd mean by it. We do an equal share of the grunt work of housework / cleaning / cooking / laundry but it's me that would generally hang pictures, buy houseplants, light candles or buy diffusers, get family photographs printed and framed, choose new bedding or cushions, that kind of thing. I'm the one that makes our home homely and cosy and a nice place to be, because I enjoy doing it.

I'd love that as perfect home to me means warm, welcoming, fun, relaxing, the perfect base to recharge for the world and spend time with your people. If you and he have a shared understanding of what perfect home means, I'd take that with pleasure if I were you.

There’s post after post about people feeling undervalued and there contribution to running the home isn’t recognised

To me it read it as thanking you for your contribution to running the home

If my DH had written that I would tease him about us being in the 50's but also be thankful for the card because I would know he was actually trying to show appreciation for everything I do at home.

It really is a situation where only you can know the back story and intentions behind it.

It could be misogynistic and shallow, from a man who doesn't appreciate you in general, or it could be a bit of a clumsy way of doing something nice.

Perfect home can mean three things.
Clean, tidy, nice. - physical, practical
Warm, loving, nice. - emotional
All above combined.

The latter two are actually a lovely compliment! The first, if it's about practical things, is kind od just like nice as they appreciate what you do, but not that lovely if that makes sense. The word home means different things in different situations imho

I sounds like he really made an effort to tell you he appreciates the things you do for your family but maybe slightly missed the mark from a woman POV given the context of the celebration day.

If you do put a lot of time and effort onto keeping the house tidy is it really bad for him to acknowledge that and be thankful?

Are there things he does that fall into a traditionally masculine category that you are thankful for?

Have you asked him what he means? Is it a cultural thing?

On one hand he might think he's complimenting you in a clumsy way, but on the other hand it does feel misogynistic and outdated.

Ask him to see what he meant.